Guinea-Bissau
| Cities in Guinea-Bissau | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | Population | Region | ||
| 1979 Census | 2005 estimate | ||||
| 1 | Bissau | 109,214 | 388,028 | Bissau | |
| 2 | Bafatá | 13,429 | 22,521 | Bafatá | |
| 3 | Gabú | 7,803 | 14,430 | Gabú | |
| 4 | Bissorã | N/A | 12,688 | Oio | |
| 5 | Bolama | 9,100 | 10,769 | Bolama | |
| 6 | Cacheu | 7,600 | 10,490 | Cacheu | |
| 7 | Bubaque | 8,400 | 9,941 | Bolama | |
| 8 | Catió | 5,170 | 9,898 | Tombali | |
| 9 | Mansôa | 5,390 | 7,821 | Oio | |
| 10 | Buba | N/A | 7,779 | Quinara | |
| 11 | Quebo | N/A | 7,072 | Quinara | |
| 12 | Canchungo | 4,965 | 6,853 | Cacheu | |
| 13 | Farim | 4,468 | 6,792 | Oio | |
| 14 | Quinhámel | N/A | 3,128 | Biombo | |
| 15 | Fulacunda | N/A | 1,327 | Quinara | |
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Climate
Guinea-Bissau is warm all year around and there is little temperature fluctuation averaging 26.3 degrees Celsius. The average rainfall for Bissau is 2024 mm although this is almost entirely accounted for during the rainy season which falls between June and September/October. During the months of December, January, February, March and April, the country experiences drought.
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Economy
Guinea-Bissau gained its independence from Portugal in 1974 after a protracted liberation war that brought tremendous damages to the country’s economic infrastructure. The civil war that took place in 1998 and 1999 and a military coup in September 2003 again disrupted economic activity, leaving a substantial part of the economic and social infrastructure in ruins and intensifying the already widespread poverty. Following the parliamentary elections in March 2004 and presidential elections in July 2005, the country is trying to recover from the long period of instability despite a still-fragile political situation.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the world's poorest countries, with more than two-thirds of its population living below the poverty line. The economy depends mainly on agriculture; fishing and cashew nuts are its major exports. A long period of political instability has resulted in depressed economic activity, deteriorating social conditions, and increased macroeconomic imbalances. The key challenges for the country in the period ahead will be to restore fiscal discipline, rebuild public administration, improve the climate for private investment, and promote economic diversification.
In April 2007, UN Office on Drugs and Crime head, Antonio Maria Costa, said he feared Guinea-Bissau could become a "narco-state" following several large cocaine seizures in the country.[3] Sadly, this seems to be occurring as Columbian cartels have used Guinea-Bissau as a transshipment point to Europe in pursuit of the European market for cocaine.[4]
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Demographics
The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse and has many distinct languages, customs, and social structures. Guinea-Bissauans can be divided into the following three ethnic groups: Fula and the Mandinka-speaking people, who comprise the largest portion of the population and are concentrated in the north and northeast; the Balanta and Papel people, who live in the southern coastal regions; and the Manjaco and Mancanha, who occupy the central and northern coastal areas. Most of the remainder are mestiços of mixed Portuguese and African descent, including a Cape Verdean minority. Portuguese natives comprise a very small percentage of Guinea-Bissauans. This deficit was directly caused by the exodus of Portuguese settlers that took place after Guinea-Bissau gained independence. The country has also a tiny Chinese population, including those of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry from Macau, a former Asian Portuguese colony. Only 14% of the population speaks the official language Portuguese. 44% speak Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speaks native African languages. Most Portuguese and Mestiços speak one of the African languages and Kriol as second languages. French is also learned in schools, as the country is surrounded by French-speaking countries and a full member of the Francophonie. Most people are farmers with traditional religious beliefs (animism); 45% are Muslim, principally the Fula and Mandinka peoples; and fewer than 8% are Christian, mostly Roman Catholics.
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Culture
The music of Guinea-Bissau is usually associated with the polyrhythmic gumbe genre, the country's primary musical export. However, civil unrest other factors have combined over the years to keep gumbe, and other genres, out of mainstream audiences, even in generally syncretist African countries.
The calabash is the primary musical instrument of Guinea-Bissau, and is used in extremely swift and rhythmically complex dance music. Lyrics are almost always in Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole language, and are often humorous and topical, revolving around current events and controversies, especially AIDS.
The word gumbe is sometimes used generically, to refer to any music of the country, although it most specifically refers to a unique style that fuses about ten of the country's folk music traditions. Tina and tinga are other popular genres, while extent folk traditions include ceremonial music used in funerals, initiations and other rituals, as well as Balanta brosca and kussundé, Mandinga djambadon and the kundere sound of the Bijagos islands.
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Matriarchy
In the Bolama archipelago, a matriarchal or matrilineal social system has survived to the present day[5], although it is currently being eroded by globalization and Christian missionary influence.[citation needed]
In this system, women choose husbands who are compelled to marry them, and religious affairs are controlled by a female priesthood.[citation needed]
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See also
- Communications in Guinea-Bissau
- Foreign relations of Guinea-Bissau
- List of Guinea-Bissau-related topics
- Military of Guinea-Bissau
- Transport in Guinea-Bissau
- Scouting in Guinea-Bissau
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References
- ^ Jihan El Tahri. (2007). Cuba! Africa! Revolution!. BBC Television. Retrieved on [[May 2, 2007]]. Event occurs at 50:00-60:00.
- ^ BBC report on Guinea-Bissau elections
- ^ BBC news
- ^ Washington Post
- ^ Yahoo news story on Bolama's matriarchal system
This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
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Sources
- Richard Andrew Lobban, Jr. and Peter Karibe Mendy, Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, third edition (Scarecrow Press, 1997) ISBN 0-8108-3226-7 (includes extensive bibliography)
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External links
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- Official government website
- AllAfrica news headline links
- BBC News Country Profile
- CIA World Factbook
- Africa South of the Sahara - Stanford University
- The Index on Africa
- Map of Guinea-Bissau
- United States consular information sheet/travel advisory for Guinea-Bissau
- Drugbarons turn Bissau into Africa's first narco-state
- Guinea-Bissau travel guide from Wikitravel
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